Removable safety stanchion post arrangement

ABSTRACT

A floor perimeter safety rail arrangement for the protection of workers on a cement floor. The cement floor has an upper surface thereon upon which they are working. The rail arrangement comprises a cement encasable hollow receiving base having a lower end for welded attachment to an “I” beam support surface and a “floor-even” upper end arranged to be even with the upper surface of the cement floor; a stanchion post removably securable onto the receiving base; and a locking arrangement for temporarily securing and unlocking the stanchion post with respect to the receiving base; wherein the base comprises a means for temporarily securing the stanchion to the upper surface of the floor, wherein the “floor-even” upper end of the base also comprises a means for leaving a flat planar floor where nothing extends beyond the upper surface of the floor upon removal of the stanchion from the base encased within the cement floor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to safety rails and more particularly tostanchion posts for peripheral guard rails utilized in the buildingconstruction industry, and is a continuation-in-part application of myco-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/196,459, filed Jul. 16,2002.

2. Prior Art

The construction of high-rise buildings and multi-story construction isan arduous and hazardous task. Steel beams and girders are placedtogether as the underlying support skeleton or frame of that building.Each successive floor is comprised of a periphery of “I” beams supportedand interconnected by further I beams and covered by sheets ofcorrugated steel.

The peripheral I beams for safety purposes, typically have posts orstanchions welded therearound, to support a safety cable extendingtherebetween, for the safety of the workers on that particular floor.During the construction of each floor, a layer of concrete is typicallypoured thereon, about six inches thick on top of the I beams, thecorrugated steel and around the base of the peripheral stanchions. Aseach successive floor is being completed, those stanchions must beremoved. They are typically cut with a torch, at the level of the top ofthe concrete, which has been cured by this time. The edges cut by thetorch have to be ground down and the concrete around the base of the cutstanchion or post must be repaired. This is a dangerous and timeconsuming job. The concrete may have an explosive reaction to the heatfrom the torch. Thus, such cutting of these posts for their removal,should be eliminated.

Another prior art safety rail is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,281 toMurray, showing a roof perimeter safety rail system. Such a safety railsystem, however, is complicated to attach and is not readily removableor coverable by a concrete layer. U.S. Pat. No. 6,038,829 to Franksdiscloses a safety rail system, which however, could be hazardous toinstall and/or remove.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,139 to Weber shows an anchor for a guardrail.However, with such a system, the post may not be removed after theconcrete has been poured therearound. U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,016 toWilkerson, Jr. shows a handrail positioning apparatus for stairs. Thispatent does show a removable stanchion, however the base would not beenclosable in concrete and still be able to remove the stanchion.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,670 to Whitmer, shows a frame erection safety systemfor eye beams. However, the removability of the stanchion would notoccur because of the way the base is attached to that stanchion. U.S.Pat. No. 4,037,824 to Whitmer, shows a safety post for attachment to anI beam. U.S. Pat. No. 3,480,257 to Bourn et al, shows a guardrailstanchion, which still would not be utilizable with a concrete floorboard around its base.

These prior art posts typically have to be removed prior to the pouringof the concrete which thus creates a non-protected work area. Otherprior art examples are embedded in wet concrete which provides noprotection from fall hazards, and thus serve no use during construction.

It is thus an object of the present invention to overcome thedisadvantage of the prior art.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a removablestanchion which is securable to a base, which base is enclosable in theconcrete floor poured therearound.

It is still yet a further object of the present invention to provide aremovable stanchion which is removable from its base, after the concretehas been cured.

It is still yet a further object of the present invention, to provide areusable stanchion, which is securable to a base and removable from thebase, after that base has been encased in a concrete floor, to leave acomplete, flat finished floor behind after the stanchion has beenremoved, with the upper end of the base flush with the upper surface ofthe concrete floor.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a floor perimeter safety railarrangement to be utilized with multi floor buildings underconstruction. The safety rail arrangement comprises a receiving basewhich acts as a sleeve to receive the lower end of a removablestanchion. The receiving base in the present invention has a lower endwith its periphery welded to the upper side of an “I” beam beforeconcrete is poured onto the floor. The I beam defines the perimeter ofeach floor of a building under construction. Those perimeter I beams,and an arrangement of corrugated plates of steel will be supportedthereon are to receive the layer of concrete about six or more inchesthick. It is intended that the layer of concrete and the height of thereceiving base are flush and therefore lie in the same plane.

A first embodiment of the present invention comprises the receiving baseof rectilinear configuration, preferably square, having a lower innerflange, across which a locking plate is disposed. The locking plate hasa central orifice. A locking nut is welded to the lower side of thelocking plate and has its threaded opening in coaxial alignment with theorifice or bore in the locking plate. The removable stanchion in thisembodiment has a lower end which mates within the receiving base, thelower end of the stanchion butting up against the inner support. Anelongated shaft extends from an upper plate at the upper end of thestanchion, and mates within the orifice of the locking plate. Theelongated shaft has a threaded distalmost end which is threadablyreceived into the nut on the lower side of the locking plate. A lineloop is weldably attached to the upper end of the stanchion, whichreceives a guardrail or line or the like between adjacent stanchionposts.

After the concrete has been poured on the upper surface of the I beamand its adjacent steel floor to a depth of about 6 inches, (that is, theheight of the receiving base), and the concrete has cured, the lockingmeans on the stanchion, in this case the elongated shaft, may beunscrewed by its bolt head on the very top end of the stanchion post.This permits the lower end of the stanchion to be removed from thesleeve of the receiving base and utilized on another floor of thebuilding under construction. The receiving base is left as is, welded tothe supporting I beam and encased within the cement floor layer, itsupper end flush with the cement.

The locking and unlocking means for securing and releasing the stanchionfrom the receiving base in another preferred embodiment thereofcomprises a locking stud, of generally inverted T-shape in longitudinalcross section, having a lowermost head end and a narrower upwardlydirected locking end. The upper or locking end has a bore extendingtherethrough. The lower end of the stanchion has a correspondinglyplaced bore extending thereacross at either side of a receiving cavity.A locking pin is arrangeable through the bore at the lower end of thestanchion and through the bore at the upper end of the locking stud. Thereceiving base has an inwardly directed annular shoulder which securesthe locking stud therein. After the concrete has been poured onto the Ibeam and adjacent floor of the safety rail arrangement of thisembodiment, and the concrete has cured, the locking pin is withdrawnfrom the respective bores of the locking stud and the stanchion post,permitting the locking stud to drop within the central opening of thereceiving base, thus permitting the stanchion post to be removedtherefrom and utilized on the next floor (with a new receiving base)under construction.

A further embodiment of the receiving base and removable stanchioncomprises a hollow receiving base which is weldable to the upper surfaceof the I beam. A locking plate is angularly disposed within the hollowreceiving base and has an orifice therein. A locking nut is welded tothe lower side of the locking plate adjacent to the orifice therein. Thelocking and unlocking means of the removable stanchion comprises athreaded bolt extending angularly through the lower end of the stanchionpost. The threaded bolt has a lower end which extends through theorifice and the locking plate and threadably engages the nut on theother side thereof. The stanchion in this embodiment, is securablethrough the receiving base by threadably engaging the locking bolt withthe locking nut on the lower side of the locking plate, and loosening ofthe locking nut from the locking plate and nut will permit removal ofthe stanchion post therefrom after the cement has been poured and curedtherearound and the floor construction has been completed.

A receiving base of circular cross section comprises yet a furtherembodiment, which receiving base is weldable to the upper surface of anI beam of a floor under construction. The receiving base has an upper,thinner surface, with a thread surface disposed therearound. Theremovable stanchion post has an upper end with a line loop weldablyattached thereon, and a lower end having a shoulder leading to a reduceddiameter shaft. The reduced diameter shaft is of circular cross section,having threads thereon which mateably engage the threads on the innersurface of the upper end of the receiving base. After the concrete hasbeen poured and cured on the surface of the I beam and its adjacentsteel sheets, up to the upper edge of the receiving base, the removablestanchion may be unscrewed from that receiving base and then re-utilized(with a new receiving base) on a further floor under construction.

Thus there has been shown a unique receiving base and replaceablestanchion arrangement for use in the perimeters, both internal andexternal, of building floors under construction. The receiving basecomprising a sleeve which anchors a removable stanchion post after thatreceiving base has been welded to the upper surface of an I beam, andthe concrete has been poured therearound up to the upper edge of thatreceiving base.

A floor perimeter safety rail arrangement for the protection of workerson a cement floor, said cement floor having an upper surface thereonupon which they are working, comprising: a cement encasable hollowreceiving base having a lower end for welded attachment to an “I” beamsupport surface and a “floor-even” upper end arranged to be even withsaid upper surface of said cement floor; a stanchion post removablysecurable onto said receiving base; and a locking arrangement fortemporarily securing and unlocking said stanchion post with respect tosaid receiving base; wherein said base comprises a means for temporarilysecuring said stanchion to said upper surface of said floor, whereinsaid “floor-even” upper end of said base also comprises a means forleaving a flat planar floor where nothing extends beyond said uppersurface of said floor upon removal of said stanchion from said baseencased within said cement floor. The said stanchion may be “L” shapedin cross-section. The stanchion preferably has a plate across a lowerend thereof. The receiving base preferably has a plate arranged acrossan upper end thereof. The locking arrangement preferably comprises avertically displaceable bolt arranged through the plate on the upper endof the receiving base. The bolt preferably extends through the platearranged at said lower end of the stanchion. A removable nut is arrangedon an upper end of the bolt. The locking arrangement may comprises adiagonally arranged bolt extending through a lower portion of thestanchion and into a threaded receiving member angularly disposed in thereceiving base. The locking arrangement may comprise a threaded openingon an upper surface of the receiving base, and the stanchion may have athreaded annular surface on a lower end thereof, to threadably engageand disengage of one another, for simple respective twisting securementand separation of the stanchion with respect to the receiving base.

The invention may also comprise a method of providing a temporary safetyrail arrangement to a periphery of a floor of a building comprising:welding a lower end of a receiving base to an upper surface of an I beamdefining a periphery the floor of a building; securing a removablestanchion to the receiving base by a locking arrangement disposedtherewith to provide a temporary safety rail; pouring concrete onto thefloor of the building to a level even with an upper end of the receivingbase to define a cement floor and to permanently encase the receivingbase in concrete on the I beam, up to the upper end of the base so thatnothing extends above the concrete on the floor at the receiving baseuntil a removable stanchion is placed thereon; unsecuring the stanchionfrom the base; removing the unsecured stanchion from the base; andproviding an unemcumbered flat cement floor with nothing extending abovethe surface of the floor upon removal of the stanchion from the base inthe cement floor. The method may include attaching a safety line to thestanchion; re-using said removed stanchion as part of another safetyrail arrangement in a further receiving base. The locking arrangementmay comprise an elongated bolt disposed between the stanchion and thebase with a nut threaded onto an upper end of the bolt. The lockingarrangement may comprise a displaceable bolt engaged between thestanchion and the receiving base. The steps may include unthreading thenut from the bolt; and dropping the bolt into the base from itsstanchion securement position. The upper end of the bolt when the nut isunthreaded therefrom is even with the upper end of the base.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects and advantages of the present invention will become moreapparent when viewed in conjunction with the following drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a floor of a building under construction,showing the peripheral arrangement of the stanchion posts therearound;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a receiving base and removablestanchion in combination, and a receiving base without a removablestanchion therein;

FIG. 3 is a view taken along the lines 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a further embodiment of thereceiving base and stanchion of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a receiving base and removablestanchion in a further embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a further embodiment of thereceiving base and removable stanchion of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the stanchionand receiving base of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of one base and stanchion shown inFIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and particularly to FIG. 1,there is shown the present invention in a plan view, which inventioncomprises a floor perimeter safety rail arrangement 10 to be utilizedwith multi-floor buildings “B” under construction. The perimeter safetyrail arrangement 10 may be utilized with external peripheries 14 andinternal peripheries, as may define a shaft opening 12.

The safety rail arrangement 10 comprises a receiving base 20 which actsas a sleeve to receive the lower end 22 of a removable stanchion 24, asshown in FIGS. 2, 4, 5 and 6. The receiving base 20 in the presentinvention has a lower end with its periphery attached to the upper sideof an “I” beam 26 by for example, a weld “W”. The I beam 26 defines theperimeter of each floor of a building under construction. Thoseperimeter I beams, and an arrangement of corrugated plates of steel (notshown for clarity) will be supported thereon are to receive a layer ofconcrete 28 about six or more inches thick. It is intended that thelayer of concrete 28 and the top of the receiving base 20 lie in thesame plane, that is, they are flush with one another to provide a flatfinished surface, as may be seen in FIGS. 2, 4, 5 and 6.

A first embodiment of the present invention comprises the receiving base20 being of rectilinear configuration, preferably square, as may be seenin FIG. 3, having a lower inner flange 30, across which a locking plate32 is disposed. The locking plate 32 has a central orifice 34. A lockingnut 35 is welded to the lower side of the locking plate 32 and has itsthreaded opening in coaxial alignment with the orifice or bore 34 in thelocking plate 32. The removable stanchion 24 in this embodiment has alower end 22 which mates within the receiving base 20, the lower end 22of the stanchion 24 butting up against the inner support flange 30. Anelongated shaft 36 extends from an upper plate 38 at the upper end ofthe stanchion 24, and has a lower end mates within the orifice 34 of thelocking plate 32. The elongated shaft 36 has a threaded distalmost end40 which is threadably received into the nut 35 on the lower side of thelocking plate 32. A line loop 42 is weldably attached to the upper endof the stanchion 24, which loop 42 receives a guardrail or line 44 orthe like between adjacent stanchion posts.24, as is depicted in FIG. 1.

After the concrete 28 has been poured on the upper surface of the I beam26 and its adjacent steel floor to a depth of about 6 inches, (that isthe height of the receiving base 20), and has cured, the locking meanson the stanchion 24, in this embodiment, the elongated shaft 36, may beunscrewed by its bolt head on the very top end of the stanchion post 24.This permits the lower end 22 of the stanchion 24 to be removed from thesleeve of the receiving base 20 and utilized on another floor of thebuilding under construction. The receiving base 20 is left as is, empty,and welded to the supporting I beam 26 and encased within the cementfloor layer 28, as depicted on the right side of FIG. 2.

The locking and unlocking means 50 for securing and releasing astanchion 29 from the receiving base 53 in another preferred embodimentthereof comprises a locking stud 52, of generally inverted T-shape inlongitudinal cross section, having a lowermost head end 54 and anarrower upwardly directed locking end 56, as shown in FIG. 4. The upperor locking end 56 of the stud 52 has a bore 58 extending therethrough.The lower end of the stanchion 29 has a correspondingly placed bore 60extending thereacross at either side of a stud receiving cavity 62. Alocking pin 64 is arrangeable through the bore 60 at the lower end ofthe stanchion 29 and through the bore 58 at the upper end of the lockingstud 52. The receiving base 53 has an inwardly directed annular shoulder66 which secures the locking stud 52 therein. After the concrete 28 hasbeen poured onto the I beam 26 and adjacent floor of the safety railarrangement of this embodiment, and the concrete 28 has cured, thelocking pin 64 is withdrawn from the respective bores 58 and 60 of thelocking stud 52 and the stanchion post 29, permitting the locking stud52 to drop within the central opening 57 of the receiving base 53, thuspermitting the stanchion post 29 to be removed therefrom and utilized onthe next floor (with a new receiving base) under construction.

A further preferred embodiment of the receiving base and removablestanchion is shown in FIG. 5, which comprises a hollow receiving base 70which is weldable to the upper surface of the I beam 26. A locking plate72 is angularly disposed within the hollow receiving base 70 and has anorifice 74 therein. A locking nut 76 is welded to the lower side of thelocking plate 72 adjacent to the orifice 74 therein. The locking andunlocking means of the removable stanchion 78 comprises a threaded bolt80 extending a bore 82 diagonally arranged through the lower end of thestanchion post 78. The threaded bolt 80 has a lower end which extendsthrough the orifice 74 and the locking plate 72 and threadably engagesthe nut 76 on the other side thereof. The stanchion 76 in thisembodiment, is securable through the receiving base 70 by threadablyengaging the locking bolt 80 with the locking nut 76 on the lower sideof the locking plate 72, and loosening of the bolt 80 from the lockingplate 72 and nut 76 will permit removal of the stanchion post 78therefrom after the cement 28 has been poured and cured therearound andthe floor construction has been completed.

A receiving base 86 of circular cross section comprises yet a furtherembodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, which receiving base 86 iswelded-weldable to the upper surface of an I beam 26 of a building floorunder construction. The receiving base 86 has an upper, inner surface88, with a thread 90 disposed therearound. The removable stanchion post92 has an upper end 94 with a line loop 42 weldably attached thereon,and a lower end 96 having a shoulder 98 leading to a threaded reduceddiameter shaft 100. The reduced diameter shaft 100 is of circular crosssection, having threads thereon which mateably engage the threads 90 onthe inner surface 88 of the upper end of the receiving base 86. Afterthe concrete 28 has been poured and cured on the surface of the I beam26 and its adjacent steel sheets, up to the upper edge 102 of thereceiving base 86, the removable stanchion 92 may be unscrewed from thatreceiving base 86 and then re-utilized (with a new receiving base) on afurther floor under construction.

A further embodiment is shown in FIG. 7 wherein an “angle iron” or “L”shaped stanchions 130 and a support stanchion 132 are secured onto theupper ends of their respective receiving base 134. The L shape provideseasy access to the locking arrangement (described hereinbelow) on thosestanchions 130 and 132. Those bases 134 have their lower peripheriespermanently welded to the I beams 136. An elongated bolt 138 extendsupwardly through a plate 140 on the upper end of the base 134, asrepresented in FIGS. 7 and 8. A nut 142 is tightened onto the bolt 138extending through the plate 140. The bolt 138 and the nut 142 arearranged through and against the lower end of a plate 147 on the lowerend of each of the respective stanchions 130 and 132 to temporarilysecure each stanchion 130 and 132 to the plate 140 on their respectivebase 134. After the concrete 144 has been poured onto the floor (metalsheets, not shown, supported across the I beams 144) up to a heightequal to the upper end of the bases 134, and the concrete 144 has curedthe workers may safely work on that floor protected by the temporarystanchions 130 and 132 supporting the temporary peripheral safety wires146. Once the peripheral safety wires 146 and stanchions 130 and 132 areno longer needed on that floor, the nuts 142 may be removed from thebases 134 and the stanchions 130 and 132 and the wires 146 are taken tothe next floor to be used in new bases thereon. The bolt 138, once thenut 142 has been removed therefrom, may fall into its respective base134, presenting the plate 140 of the base 134 as even and flush with thenow cured cement floor. The upper end of the bolt 138 may in a furtherembodiment, be just long enough to fall into the base 134, as indicatedby arrow “Z”, so that the upper end thereof is even with the plate 140on the upper end of the base 134. Then a finished, flush, flat floor ispresented after the temporary stanchions 130 and 132 have been removedfrom the secured bases 134 left within the concrete.

Thus there has been shown a unique receiving base and replaceablestanchion arrangement for use in the perimeters, both internal andexternal, of building floors under construction. The receiving basecomprises a sleeve which is permanently welded to the peripheral Ibeam(s) and anchors a removable stanchion post. The concrete has beenpoured around the receiving base and up to the upper edge of thatreceiving base so that the concrete floor and the upper end of the baseare flush with one another.

1. A floor perimeter safety rail arrangement for the protection ofworkers on a cement floor, said cement floor having an upper surfacethereon upon which they are working, comprising: a cement encasablehollow receiving base having a lower end for welded attachment to an “I”beam support surface and a “floor-even” upper end arranged to be evenwith said upper surface of said cement floor; a stanchion post removablysecurable onto said receiving base; and a locking arrangement fortemporarily securing and unlocking said stanchion post with respect tosaid receiving base; wherein said base comprises a means for temporarilysecuring said stanchion to said upper surface of said floor, whereinsaid “floor-even” upper end of said base also comprises a means forleaving a flat planar floor where nothing extends beyond said uppersurface of said floor upon removal of said stanchion from said baseencased within said cement floor.
 2. The safety rail arrangement asrecited in claim 1, wherein said stanchion is “L” shaped incross-section to permit ease of access to said locking arrangement. 3.The safety rail arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein saidstanchion has a plate across a lower end thereof.
 4. The safety railarrangement as recited in claim 3, wherein said receiving base has aplate arranged across an upper end thereof.
 5. The safety railarrangement as recited in claim 4, wherein said locking arrangementcomprises a vertically displaceable bolt arranged through said plate onsaid upper end of said receiving base.
 6. The safety rail arrangement asrecited in claim 5, wherein said bolt extends through said platearranged at said lower end of said stanchion.
 7. The safety railarrangement as recited in claim 6, wherein a removable nut is arrangedon an upper end of said bolt.
 8. The safety rail arrangement as recitedin claim 1, wherein said locking arrangement comprises a diagonallyarranged bolt extending through a lower portion of said stanchion andinto a threaded receiving member angularly disposed in said receivingbase.
 9. The safety rail arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein saidlocking arrangement comprises a threaded opening on an upper surface ofsaid receiving base, and said stanchion has a threaded annular surfaceon a lower end thereof, to threadably engage and disengage of oneanother, for simple respective twisting securement and separation ofsaid stanchion with respect to said receiving base.
 10. A method ofproviding a temporary safety rail arrangement to a periphery of a floorof a building comprising: welding a lower end of a receiving base to anupper surface of an I beam defining a periphery said floor of saidbuilding; securing a removable stanchion to said receiving base by alocking arrangement disposed therewith to provide a temporary safetyrail; pouring concrete onto said floor of said building to a level evenwith an upper end of said receiving base to define a cement floor; andpermanently encasing said receiving base in concrete on said I beam, upto said upper end of said base so that nothing extends above saidconcrete on said floor at said receiving base when said removablestanchion is removed therefrom.
 11. The method as recited in claim 10,including: securing a safety line to said stanchion.
 12. The method asrecited in claim 11, including: unsecuring said stanchion on said base;removing said unsecured stanchion from said base; and providing anunemcumbered flat cement floor with nothing extending above the surfaceof said floor upon removal of said stanchion from said base in saidcement floor.
 13. The method as recited in claim 12, including: re-usingsaid removed stanchion as part of another safety rail arrangement in afurther receiving base.
 14. The method as recited in claim 10, whereinsaid locking arrangement comprises an elongated bolt disposed betweensaid stanchion and said base with a nut threaded onto an upper end ofsaid bolt.
 15. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said lockingarrangement comprises a displaceable bolt engaged between said stanchionand said receiving base.
 16. The method as recited in claim 13,including: unthreading said nut from said bolt; and dropping said boltinto said base from its stanchion securement position.
 17. The method asrecited in claim 15, wherein said upper end of said bolt when said nutis unthreaded therefrom is even with said upper end of said base.